September 30, 2018

Sunday Devotional With Mr.E: Something New

Sometimes it is challenging to share our artistic endeavors. We live with our thoughts, we deliberate over our sketches, and we invest time, energy, and skill into our creations. They are an extension of ourselves, our beliefs, our opinions, and how we see the world. Sharing these things with others can be scary. There is a fear of rejection, being misunderstood, or that our work will just not measure up. Sometimes these fears are elevated as we step out of our comfort zone artistically. Trying something new can be risky. Those known for realistic work try their hand at abstraction. A painter attempts sculpture. A portrait artists begins creating images of historic structures. Change can bring uncertainty. The artist and their patrons become comfortable in the established. However, the artist must be willing to take risks, try new things, and push the work further so that they can grow.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

It is easy to become comfortable in our faith. Though this might sound like a good thing to some....being comfortable in our faith can cause us to be desensitized to our need for God. Being comfortable in our faith can be a rut that keeps us from doing what the Spirit is prompting us to do. When we get to this place of "comfort"...we tend to want to protect that feeling of "safety". Stepping out in faith would rob us of our comfort. God was affirming to Joshua that he was going to be with him as he stepped out in faith. If Joshua was just going to do what he always did...why would he need to be strong and courageous? Why would God tell him not to be afraid or discouraged? No, God was preparing Joshua for an adventure. He was preparing him to live out a life of faith. Though it might not be "comfortable...God assured him that he would be with him!

When God calls us to step out in faith....he does not leave us to our own devices. When he calls us to something new...he goes with us! If it is helping a neighbor, reaching out to the refugee community, or traveling around the world to share God's love....what God calls us to....he goes with us! We are not called to be comfortable. We are called to know God & make him known.